Quote Of The Day - Father Tony Adams

"Unlike my parents, young Catholics today do not fear or revere the clergy. The worldwide priest pedophile scandal did irreparable damage to the blind respect priests once enjoyed. For young Catholics, the pope is a distant and tiny man; a relic of an age when the temporal power and splendor of the church almost suffocated religion itself. Many of these young Catholics will not be getting out of bed early on a Sunday morning to get their kids cleaned up, dressed and in the car in time for Mass, and they will not be throwing their hard- earned dollars into the collection basket. They will discourage their sons from even considering the priesthood as a vocation. Today, American bishops brazenly insert themselves into politics, preaching messages of hate and intolerance, stripping rights from women and forcing the priests below them to read letters from the pulpit ordering Catholics to behave in certain ways, such as voting against marriage equality.

"Whenever a priest refuses to read such a letter, I am filled with hope that other priests—gay or straight—will stand up with him and will together take a courageous stand against the homophobia of the hierarchy. We live in a time where the sheep must lead the lost shepherds. But my hope is that when those confused old shepherds have passed away, a new generation of Catholic priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes will include openly gay, straight, single and married men and women—people who will not be interested in sticking their noses in Catholic bedrooms but will instead be focused on amplifying the unconditional love of Jesus. I hope I live to see that day. I would not mind receiving the blessing from such a pope and being asked again to step up to that pulpit on the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica to proclaim the truth of Jesus with the voice he gave me for exactly that purpose." - Father Tony Adams, writing for Pride Magazine.

NOTE: His essay begins on Page 74 and he does not shy away from naming some names from his days at the Vatican.